Skip to main content

Syndicate contentUniversity of California, San Diego

Robot learns to smile and frown

A hyper-realistic Einstein robot at the University of California, San Diego has learned to smile and make facial expressions through a process of self-guided learning. The UC San Diego researchers used machine learning to "empower" their robot to learn to make realistic facial expressions.

Anti-inflammatory drugs may defeat a treatment-resistant type of cancer

Effective drugs for treating a chemotherapy-resistant form of lymphoma might already be on the market according to a study that has pieced together a chemical pathway involved in the disease.

Researchers observe single protein dimers wavering between two symmetrically opposed structures

LA JOLLA, CA, June 19, 2009 -- Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute, the University of California, San Diego, and Ohio State University have used a very sensitive fluorescence technique to find that a bacterial protein thought to exist in one "natural" three-dimensional structure (shape), can actually twist itself into a second form, depending on the protein's chemical environment.

Researchers observe single protein dimers wavering between two symmetrically opposed structures

LA JOLLA, CA, June 19, 2009 -- Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute, the University of California, San Diego, and Ohio State University have used a very sensitive fluorescence technique to find that a bacterial protein thought to exist in one "natural" three-dimensional structure (shape), can actually twist itself into a second form, depending on the protein's chemical environment.

UC San Diego Astrophysicist Wins Shaw Prize in Astronomy

An astrophysicist at the University of California, San Diego whose wide-ranging research advanced our understanding of how stars, spiral galaxies and planetary systems form has been awarded the $1-million Shaw Prize in Astronomy.

Frank H.

Measuring brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have shown that a fully automated procedure called Volumetric MRI -- which measures the "memory centers" of the brain and compares them to expected size -- is effective in predicting the progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's disease.

Depression may increase Alzheimer's risk in people with memory problems

People with memory problems who are depressed are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who aren't depressed, according to a new UCLA study.

Researchers also found, however, that the popular Alzheimer's drug donepezil may help delay the progression to Alzheimer's in depressed individuals who suffer from mild cognitive impairment or memory problems.

Low-fat diet helps genetically predisposed animals avoid liver cancer

PHILADELPHIA -- In a study comparing two strains of mice, one susceptible to developing cancer and the other not, researchers found that a high-fat diet predisposed the cancer-susceptible strain to liver cancer, and that by switching to a low-fat diet early in the experiment, the same high-risk mice avoided the malignancy.

'Weedy' bird species may win as temperatures rise

Climate change is altering North American winter bird communities in ways that models currently favored by ecologists fail to predict.

Let me sleep on it: Creative problem solving enhanced by REM sleep

Research led by a leading expert on the positive benefits of napping at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine suggests that Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep enhances creative problem-solving. The findings may have important implications for how sleep, specifically REM sleep, fosters the formation of associative networks in the brain.

Autoinflammatory disease model reveals role for innate, not adaptive, immunity

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have developed the first mouse model for auto-inflammatory diseases, disorders that involve the over-activation of the body's innate, primitive immune system.

How oxidative stress may help prolong life

Oxidative stress has been linked to aging, cancer and other diseases in humans. Paradoxically, researchers have suggested that small exposure to oxidative conditions may actually offer protection from acute doses. Now, scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have discovered the gene responsible for this effect.

Study may aid efforts to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer

Researchers from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have uncovered a remarkable property of the contractile ring, a structure required for cell division. Understanding how the contractile ring works to divide the cell may facilitate development of therapies to prevent uncontrolled cell division in cancer.

New therapy enlists immune system to boost cure rate in a childhood cancer

A multicenter research team has announced encouraging results for an experimental therapy using elements of the body's immune system to improve cure rates for children with neuroblastoma, a challenging cancer of the nervous system.

A person's high or low response to alcohol says much about their risk for alcoholism

Someone who has a low level of response (LR) to alcohol, meaning relatively little reaction to alcohol, has a higher risk for developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs).



About us

Science Blog was started in August 2002. It lives, breathes and eats press releases from research organizations around the globe. Most of what you read here are press releases from the outfits named in the stories themselves. Got a news story you think belongs here? Let's talk. The other half of the equation is blog posts from readers like you. So if you have an interest in science, please register and join others like you in an ongoing, vibrant dialog about what makes the world tick. Meantime, please take a minute to read our Privacy Policy and Site Disclaimer.


Premium Drupal Themes by Adaptivethemes